50 Best April Fool’s Pranks for Kids to Play on Parents (2023)
43. Honk at me sign
50 Funny April Fools’ Jokes That Will Get Everyone Laughing
You don’t need to watch The Pioneer Woman show every week to know that Ree and her husband, Ladd Drummond, enjoy making each other laugh. “Some couples show love by leaving sweet notes for each other around the house,” says Ree Drummond. “Others go on picnics, go hiking together, or take long walks in the evening, hand in hand. Ladd and me? Well, our primary love language seems to be pranking.” We adore these love birds. 😂
You know that there will be plenty of silly pranks and one-liners to go around when the Drummonds wake up on April 1! So, why not bring your own family in on the fun this year with these super funny April Fools’ jokes? We’ve gathered plenty of ideas that will leave everyone in stitches, from cute jokes for kids to goofy dad jokes.
For all those wondering, the Drummond family’s go-to prank involves a typical scare for folks living on a ranch: they hide fake snakes around the house and wait for them to be discovered! (To be honest, that would get anyone’s heart racing.) Even the kids are in on the joke now—you can watch Alex pull the classic snake prank on Ree! Give the Drummond prank a try, then crack one of these April Fools’ Day jokes.
Best April Fools’ Jokes
- Why do omelettes love April Fools’ Day? They enjoy practical yolks.
- Why is everyone so tired on April 1? Because they just finished a 31-day march!
- If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring? Pilgrims.
- What do you call an overflowing toilet on April Fools’ Day? A septic prank.
- What do bank tellers hand out on April 1? Prank card numbers.
- What do you call a research organization on April Fools’ Day? A think prank.
- Did you hear they arrested the devil? It’s true! They got him on possession.
- How does a husband scare his wife on April 1? He opens a prank account!
- Did you hear about the guy who lost the left side of his body? He’s alright now.
- Did you hear about the pun that was actually funny? Neither have we.
- A woman went into a seafood restaurant and requested a lobster tail. The waiter smiled and said, “Once upon a time there was this handsome lobster…”
- Have you heard about the successful florist in town? Business is positively blooming.
- What monster has the most fun on April Fools’ Day? Prank-enstein.
- What do servicemen do on April 1? They call up the prank and file!
- What do you write in a birthday card on April Fools’ Day? You can prank me later.
April Fools’ Jokes for Kids
- Did you hear about the daisy that was excited for spring? It wet its plants.
- What did April Fools’ say when it received a gift? Well, prank you!
- How does a skeleton know that April showers are on the way? It can feel it in its bones.
- What always goes up when April showers come down? An umbrella.
- Want to hear a joke about paper? Never mind it’s wearable.
- What spring flower grows between your nose and chin? Two-lips.
- What did one spring chicken say to the other? You’re looking egg-cellent.
- Why are the frogs so happy today? They eat whatever bugs them.
- How many tickles does it take to make an octopus laugh? Ten tickles.
- Why can’t you plant spring flowers? Because you haven’t botany!
April Fools’ for Friends
- A dad was upset to find his son at home in front of a roaring fire because they didn’t have a fireplace!
- A cartoonist was found unconscious at home; details are sketchy.
- Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
- I went to a seafood disco last week. and pulled a mussel.
- I lost all my winter weight, now I just have spring rolls.
- The future, the present, and the past walked into a bar—things got a little tense.
- What do you call a girl with one leg that’s shorter than the other? Ilene.
- I’m being accused of being a plagiarist—their word not mine.
- A persistent banker won’t stop calling me, so I asked him to leave me a loan.
- Some people say you look better with glasses—I really can’t see it!
- The police were called to a daycare yesterday. Apparently, a 2-year-old was resisting a rest.
- I couldn’t work out how to fix the washing machine so I threw in the towel.
- The one day of the week that eggs are definitely afraid of is Fry-day.
- Stay away from people using umbrellas today. They seem to be under the weather.
- Did you hear about the human cannonball? Too bad he got fired!
April Fools’ Knock-Knock Jokes
- “Knock, knock!” “Who’s there?” “April.” “April who?” “April Fools’!”
- “Knock, knock!” “Who’s there?” “No.” “No who?” “Nobody — April Fools’!”
- “Knock, knock!” “Who’s there?” “Sue.” “Sue who?” “Sue-prise! It’s April Fools’!”
- “Knock, knock!” “Who’s there?” “Tree.” “Tree who?” “Have a tree-rific day!”
- “Knock, knock!” “Who’s there?” “Beak.” “Beak who?” “Beak careful that you don’t get pranked on April Fools’ Day.”
- “Knock, knock!” “Who’s there?” “Sinatra” “Sinatra who?” “Prank Sinatra, of course!”
- “Knock, knock!” “Who’s there?” “Wool” “Wool who?” “Wool you have the best day today?”
- “Knock, knock!” “Who’s there?” “Otto.” “Otto who?” “You really otto know an April Fools’ joke when you hear one.”
- “Knock, knock!” “Who’s there?” “Beets.” “Beets who?” “Beets me!”
- “Knock, knock!” “Who’s there?” “Boo.” “Boo who?” “Please, don’t cry, it’s only a joke!”
Micaela Bahn is a freelance editorial assistant and recent graduate from Carleton College, where she majored in English literature. She loves running, photography, and cooking the best new recipes.
50 Best April Fool’s Pranks for Kids to Play on Parents (2023)
April Fool’s Day is everyone’s chance to have a little extra fun with each other. This silly holiday has been making people laugh for generations.
Every other day of the year, parents are pretty much in charge around the house. After all, they make the rules, they set the schedule, and they decide what’s for dinner.
There’s nothing more irritating to a parent than discovering that the bread they just bought at the store has already gone bad.
Make their disaster scenario come true by dabbing a few drops of green food coloring on a few slices of bread in the load. Keep the top slice fresh and clean so that the colored “mold” is hidden.
Then wait for their reaction as they open the bread for the morning toast or daily sandwich.
2. Cracked Screen
It’s every parent’s worst nightmare – a cracked screen on their own smartphone or tablet!
This april fools’ day is the perfect opportunity to trick your parent into thinking it has happened to them.
Download an image or an app that will make your screen look like it’s shattered.
Your mom or dad will be so upset until you yell “April Fool’s!”
They will likely be so relieved that they won’t even be mad at you.
3. Salty Coffee
Easy pranks are the best pranks. Does your mom or dad love their morning cup of coffee?
If they drink their coffee with sugar, this is the perfect april fools’ prank for them!
Replace the sweetener in their sugar bowl with salt, and watch the next morning as they drink their disgusting salty coffee!
4. Toothpaste Cookies
For an afternoon snack (and april fools’ joke), offer your parents a delicious cookie with a glass of milk.
But before you do, grab some oreo cookies (or oreo-style cookies) and slowly twist the cookies until they come apart. Use a butter knife to gently scrape off the delicious frosting. Replace it carefully with white toothpaste. Then, put the cookie back together.
Watch as your parents bite into their cookie – what face will they make when they realize it’s not what they thought!?
5. The Classic Soap Trick
Do your parents use a bar of soap when they shower? Or is there a bar of soap next to the sink in your house? Then this classic prank is a great way to fool everyone.
Take the bar of soap and make sure it’s completely dry. Find some clear nail polish and carefully paint the entire bar of soap. Be careful not to get the nail polish on anything, or you’ll REALLY be in trouble!
After it dries, replace the soap where it belongs. The next time mom or dad tries to lather the soap, nothing will happen!
6. Dirty Water
What if you turned on the faucet, and brown, discolored water came out? Gross!
Your parents will freak out about the water quality in your house if you play this harmless prank on them.
Take a cotton swab and carefully smear a few drops of food coloring around the rim of the faucet spout where the water comes out (gel food coloring works especially well).
Brown or green food coloring works well to make the water look dirty, and red works well to make it look bloody.
Watch their reaction as they turn on the water!
7. Broken Remote
Sometimes the best pranks are the simplest ones. It’s the worst when the remote control doesn’t work!
Frustrate your parents by taking the batteries out of every remote in the house to make it impossible to turn the television on or off, or change the channel.
8. Out of Shampoo
Trick your parents into thinking that all of their bath products are out.
To do this, sneak into their bathroom and take all the caps off of their shampoo, conditioner, body wash, etc. Then, place a small piece of plastic wrap over the bottle opening, and then screw the lid back on. Make sure nothing can come out.
The next time they’re in the shower, listen to hear their frustrated cries!
9. Upside Down House
If you have a parent who is very particular about the way the house is decorated, this is the perfect April’s Fool’s prank for them.
Before your parents wake up, set all objects in the house upside down. Look for pictures frames, clocks, books, etc. You can also hang the pictures on the wall upside down. Be careful not to break anything or you’ll really get in trouble!
I can say as a parent that this April Fool’s prank would drive me absolutely nuts!
10. Scary Spiders
If your mom or dad gets easily freaked out by creepy crawly insects, this prank is perfect to play on them.
Unroll the roll of toilet paper and draw a creepy spider with a thick black marker a few toilet paper sheets in from the end. Roll it back up and wait to hear a scream from the bathroom!
Or, you can buy a fake bug to place around the house, in shoes, on top of folded towels, on the top sheet of the bed, etc.
You can even buy tiny ones and freeze them in ice cubes. That will really freak out your family when they go to take a sip of water and there’s a bug inside!
Note: Fake spiders or insects are great to have at your disposal because you can use them over and over again in different situations.
These fake spiders on Amazon are really creepy:
This might be the best april fools’ prank because it’s so easy and required almost no planning. (Hello, procrastinating pranksters!) You’ve probably heard about it or seen it happen to someone else.
Use a rubber band to keep the sink sprayer handle pressed down. When the next person goes to turn on the faucet, the sprayer will soak them. Just make sure it’s not you!
12. Broken Mouse
Is your mom or dad always on the computer? Then this April Fool’s Prank is the best way to drive them nuts!
Put a piece of clear scotch tape over the tracking ball on the bottom of their computer mouse. This will keep it from moving and the mouse won’t work!
Then sit back and watch their frustration and confusion about why their mouse won’t work. How long can you keep it going?
13. Crazy Alarms
Want to really annoy your parents? Set all of the alarm clocks in the house to go off at different times throughout the next day.
Every time the alarm goes off unexpectedly, it will disturb and annoy everyone! It will be a never-ending April Fool’s Prank that’s sure to drive them crazy all day.
14. Shoes Don’t Fit
Of all the playful pranks to play on your parents, this one might be the easiest and most harmless.
All you need are cotton balls! Stuff them in the toes of your parents favorite shoes. The next time they go to put their shoes on, they’ll think their shoes are too small.
15. Habla Español?
Change the settings on the TV or on your parent’s cell phone so that everything they see is in Spanish or French instead of English. Be sure to remember how to switch it back, or they might get really mad!
16. Lost Phone
Anyone who loves funny pranks will appreciate this lost phone trick.
Wake up before your parents and tape their cell phone underneath their chair at the kitchen table. While you’re all eating breakfast, call their cell phone. Then, watch their reaction as they realize they have no idea where their phone is!
How long will it take before they look under the kitchen chair?
17. Frozen Computer
This april fool’s day, trick your mom or dad into thinking their computer is totally frozen.
It’s easy to do! Take a screenshot of their desktop and leave the image open.
See how long it takes them to figure out your trick.
18. Hair Loss
Warning – this prank might actually freak them out and make them angry. Proceed with caution!
What is scarier than thinking you’re losing your hair? Buy a package of hair extensions that match your parent’s hair. You can find them at the local drug store, grocery store, or online. Then, snip some strands about the length of your parent’s real hair and spread it around on their pillow while they are asleep.
They’ll wake up thinking they’re in a nightmare! They’ll be so relieved to realize that the whole thing is just a prank.
19. Brownie Batch
Surprise your mom or dad by telling them you’ve made them a fresh batch of brownies for an afternoon snack! They’ll be so excited for your delicious treats.
Then, offer up a plate of brown letter E’s made from construction paper. (brown e = brownie!)
To make this prank happen, all you need is brown construction paper and a pair of scissors. Happy “baking”!
20. Food Swaps
This hilarious practical joke is pretty self-explanatory. You swap one food for another to completely gross out your mom or dad.
This disgusting April Fool’s Joke can be done in many different ways, and the only limit is your creativity!
Swap these foods for a hilarious reaction:
-Swap whipped cream for mayo
-Swap soy sauce and Sprite for Diet Coke
-Swap avocado with wasabi, etc.
-Swap teriyaki sauce for hot chocolate
-Swap vinegar for water in ice cube trays (YUCK!)
The options are endless, and so is they joy you will get from watching your family members eat disgusting items that they didn’t expect!
21. Jello Mold
This classic prank was made famous by Jim on “The Office”, so it’s one of the best april fools day pranks for a parent who loves that show.
Take an item that your mom or dad uses frequently like a stapler or a favorite pen. Stick it in the refrigerator overnight to harden inside the jello mold.
22. Frozen Cereal
Does your mom or dad (or sibling) eat a bowl of cereal in the morning? If so, here’s a good way to to have a little bit of fun with them on April Fool’s Day.
Before you go to bed, make their bowl of cereal just the way they like it and place it in the freezer. The next morning, let them know that you’ve already made their breakfast for them. Then watch as they try to eat a frozen bowl of cereal!
23. Bubble Wrap Fun
There’s so much you can do with bubble wrap on April Fool’s Day.
Place bubble wrap under the toilet seat for a good scare. Place it under a bath mat, kitchen mat, or rug that’s used often.
The popping sounds will scare and confuse your parents, and the best part will be watching them!
24. Light Switch Trick
Make the light switches in the house un-usable with simple clear scotch tape. Mold it around the light switch so that it will be difficult to understand why the light switch won’t move.
Your parents will be so annoyed when they can’t turn the lights on and off!
25. Out of time? Just Scare Them
If you’re running low on time for planning your april fools’ day pranks, there’s nothing better than a good old-fashioned scare.
Find a big box and hide in it. Hide in the closet. Hide under a blanket.
When your mom or dad is least suspecting it, jump out and yell “April Fool’s!”
More April Fool’s Pranks
26. Strangers in the Picture Frames
Swap out your familiar photos with photos of random people, celebrities, or funny images.
27. Horror House
Swap out your regular light bulbs with flickering, low watt light bulbs for an eerie effect.
28. Candy Vitamins
Swap your parent’s daily vitamins for tic-tags.
29. Smoking Toilet
Place two toilet rolls on the toilet to be the toilet’s “eyes”. Then take a cardboard toilet paper toll and place it under the toilet seat as the toilet’s “cigar”. Then yell “The toilet is smoking!”.
30. Minty Oreos
Replace the frosting in oreos with white toothpaste and offer your parents a cookie. Blech!
31. Frozen Hot Cocoa
Make some hot chocolate as you usually do in your parent’s regular mug. Keep it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, pour a little hot water over the top so it unfreezes just slightly. They’ll be so focused when they try to add milk or try to drink it!
32. Keep a Straight Face
What is the one thing your parents do not want to hear from you? That you’ve failed a class at school? That you no longer want to play the piano? Whatever it is, tell them it with a straight face for as long as you can keep the joke going.
33. Hard-Boiled Eggs
Replace the fresh eggs in the container with hard-boiled eggs. They’ll be caught off guard when they go to make scrambled eggs in the morning.
34. Autocorrect
Change the autocorrect settings in your parent’s phone to say ridiculous things for common words, change “yes” to “no, etc.
35. I lost my phone
Call your parents from your cell phone to let them know that you lost your phone. They’ll be really worried until they realize that that makes absolutely no sense.
36. Peanut Butter / Poo Trick
Put crunchy peanut butter in your victim’s shoe. It will look and feel like poo. They’ll be really surprised when you smell it and take a lick of it!
37. Special Delivery!
Gather up all the old cardboard boxes you can find, reconstruct them, and place them outside of your front door to make it look like you went crazy online ordering!
38. Toothpaste Swap
Swap the labels of anchovi paste and toothpaste. That will wake them up!
39. Cheesy Deodorant
Take out the deodorant from the plastic dispenser and replace it with cream cheese. Use a spatula to smooth it and make it look realistic.
40. Confetti
Place confetti on the top of the ceiling fan. When the fan is turned on, your unsuspecting victim will be in a rainstorm of confetti.
41. Duct Tape toilet paper
Replace your toilet paper with white duct tape!
42. Mailbox surprise
After the mail has been delivered for the day, but before your parents have collected it, add a surprise to the mailbox. Fake bugs, a fake snake, or anything else that might give them a scare!
43. Honk at me sign
Put a sign that says “Honk at me!” on the back of your parent’s car. They’ll have no idea why everyone is honking at them on the way to school!
44. Kitchen drawer swap
Confuse your parents by swapping the contents of the silverware drawer with another drawer.
45. Fake Vomit
Buy some fake vomit and put it in the place your parents would least like to see it. Their bed, their car, or on an expensive rug!
46. Whoopie cushion fun
Whoopie cushions are the classic prank. Set it on the chair where your parents normally sit for breakfast, then sit back and wait for the disgusting sound when they sit down.
47. Balloon Pillows
Fill up your parents pillowcases with balloons!
48. Googly eyes
Put googly eyes on all the fruit in the house so they are creepily staring back at your parents.
49. Upside Down Screen
On a Windows computer, press the Ctrl, Alt, and downward arrow keys to flip the display screen upside down. You can turn it back by pushing Ctrl, Alt, and the upward arrow key together!
50. Catch the Poo.
Stick clear plastic wrap over the toilet. But be prepared for your parents to get mad about this one!
Tips for April Fool’s Pranks
- Choose the right person to prank. Find someone who likes a good joke. We don’t want to start any fights.
- Plan ahead if you can. Order the supplies you need to make your prank go perfectly.
- Keep a straight face as long as you can. This is what will really make the prank go well and be hilarious!
History of April Fool’s Day
The annual tradition of April Fool’s Day dates all the way back to 1582, when France changed from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. People who were slow to get the news continues to celebrate the start of the new year during the last week of March instead of on January 1st. They become the butt of the joke.
April Fool’s Day spree throughout Britan during the 18th century, where people would send their pranks on fake errands and pin fake tails on them.
It’s been celebrated for many centuries across various cultures, but its exact origins are not fully known.
These are some good pranks if we do say so ourselves.
We hope this list of pranks makes your april fool’s day memorable for your whole family. (And that you don’t get into too much trouble for them!)
At the end of the day, we all need laughter. It’s the best medicine, after all.
We hope you have a good time trying out these silly tricks, and we can’t wait to hear how it went.